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Percy Robert Sutherland landed only one punch during an altercation on Saskatoon’s west side, but that one blow changed another man’s life forever and sent Sutherland to prison for more than seven years.

Sutherland, 33, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault partway through his preliminary hearing earlier this month in Saskatoon provincial court, acknowledging the one blow to the back of Samuel Bruyere’s head caused the acquired brain injury that means Bruyere will need intensive care for the rest of his life.

Punch to the head leads to prisonBack to video

The incident on May 25, 2015 appeared to be gang-related, but not in the sense that the two men were in opposing gangs.

Instead, according to what Sutherland told police, there were plans for Sutherland to become associated with the gang to which Bruyere belonged, but there was some conflict between the two men leading up to the incident, Crown prosecutor Tom Macnab said in court.

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Sutherland was chasing Bruyere and caught up to him just outside the White Buffalo Youth Lodge on 20th Street. He threw a hammer at Bruyere, but it’s not clear whether the hammer connected.

When Sutherland got close enough to Bruyere, he hit him with his fist once in the back of the head and Bruyere fell to the pavement. Sutherland kicked at Bruyere’s body — but not his head — then fled the scene.

A short time later, he was told Bruyere wasn’t moving, so he returned to the scene to see if he was OK, his lawyer, Tim Nolin, told court. Witnesses recognized Sutherland and pointed him out to police, who arrested him.

Sutherland didn’t intend to hurt Bruyere as badly as he did, and regrets his actions, Nolin said. He was on methamphetamine and drinking alcohol that day, and due to his own history as a victim of violence, having been stabbed and shot on other occasions, he had a fear of being on the receiving end of more violence.

The Crown and defence jointly recommended a sentence of seven years and four months. After applying credit for Sutherland’s time on remand, that leaves six years for him to serve, which Judge Vanessa Monar Enweani accepted.

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